In Tbilisi and some other regions of Georgia, another large-scale power cut occurred on the evening of 5 August – the third since the end of July – according to Radio Free Europe’s Georgian service.
The power cut has caused communication problems across the country, and the Tbilisi metro has suspended services.
The cause is said to be a fault at the Inguri hydroelectric power station. Facilities at this station are located both in territory controlled by the Georgian government and in the region of Abkhazia, which considers itself an independent country.
The Georgian authorities stated that the power cut was caused by testing of the Inguri hydroelectric power station’s systems, “which is intended to establish the cause of previous emergency power cuts”.
“During the tests, the Georgian power grid was completely shut down. A detailed analysis of the incident and a corresponding assessment are currently underway to determine the exact causes of the failure and prevent such incidents from recurring in the future,” said Giorgi Phangani, a member of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
During the previous blackouts, on 23 and 25 July, electricity was also cut off for several hours in Tbilisi and many regions of the country.